Almaty

U.S. Consulate General

Welcome to the U.S. Consulate General, Almaty

The United States inaugurated the Consulate General in Almaty – the only American Consulate in Central Asia – in December 2009. The Consulate General hosts offices of the Department of State (including Consular, Public Affairs and Political/Economic Sections), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Foreign Commercial Service (FCS) and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). This consular district encompasses the four southern regions (oblasti) of Kazakhstan, although many Consulate agencies and sections have broader mandates in Kazakhstan and in Central Asia.

The U.S. Consulate General in Almaty works on a wide range of bilateral and regional issues, such as trade, commerce, economic development, democracy and governance, humanitarian assistance, health promotion and disease control, counter-narcotics and environmental protection. The Consulate General also provides services to American citizens and businesses in Kazakhstan. Please make an appointment before you visit the Consular Section.

History

Independent since 1991, Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world, roughly the size of Western Europe or four times the size of Texas. Located in the heart of Central Asia, Kazakhstan is bordered by Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and the Caspian Sea.

The United States was the first country to recognize independent Kazakhstan, on December 25, 1991. The U.S. Embassy was opened in the then-capital city Almaty in January 1992. The Government of Kazakhstan transferred its capital from Almaty to Astana on June 10, 1998. The U.S. Embassy completed its move to Astana in the fall of 2006, while remaining elements of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Almaty constituted an Embassy Branch Office.

The U.S. Consulate General in Almaty – the only U.S. consulate in Central Asia – was inaugurated in December 2009. U.S. Consulate General Almaty currently consists of several State Department sections, including Consular, Political/Economic, Public Affairs, Regional Security, and the Regional Medical Office; the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Central Asia Regional Mission, the Centers for Disease Control, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Foreign Commercial Service.

Despite the capital’s move to Astana, Almaty remains Kazakhstan’s unofficial “Southern Capital,” the main cultural and business center, as well as the country’s largest city. Founded in 1854 as Fort Verney, a military outpost of the Russian Empire, Almaty was built on the site of a former Silk Road town that had been destroyed by Mongol invaders. Almaty was twice destroyed by earthquakes, in 1887 and 1911.

Consul General Michelle Yerkin

Michelle Yerkin assumed the position of U.S. Consul General in Almaty in August 2023.

Complete Biography

Sections & Offices

Consular Section
Tel: +7 (727) 250-48-02 (General number)
Consular affairs (passports, visas or services for U.S. citizens)
Please read the information provided online before you contact us over the phone or by e-mail. The information provided on the Nonimmigrant or Immigrant Visas, and American Citizen Services pages should answer most questions.
For U.S. Citizen Services please click here.
For visa inquiries please click here.

Public Affairs Section
Public Affairs Officer: Nick Novak
Tel: +7 (727) 250-48-02 (General number)
Email: almaty@state.gov

Note: The Public Affairs Office does not handle visa inquiries and will not respond to visa-related calls or messages.

U.S. Department of Commerce:
U.S. Commercial Service
Commercial Officer: Donald Townsend
Tel: +7 (727) 250-48-02 (general number)

Drug Enforcement Administration
Assistant Regional Director: Michael Nowacoski
Tel: +7 (727) 250-48-02 (general number)

United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Mission Director: Lawrence Hardy
Deputy Mission Director: Peter Young
41 Kazibek bi Street,
Almaty, Kazakhstan 050010
Tel: +7 (727) 250-48-02 (general number)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
CDC CAR Pr Dep Director: Daniel Singer
41 Kazibek bi Street,
Almaty, Kazakhstan 050010
Tel: +7 (727) 250-48-02, (general number)